by N M Zoltack
“Honestly, the chances of anyone from Atlan winning is slim, I’m afraid,” Aldus said. “Even if we do not invite anyone from Vincana.”
“Are you going to send invitations to Zola, Toapan, and Xalac?” the vicar asked.
“I haven’t decided that either,” Rosalynne admitted. “And if I do not send the messages via birds, they will have no chance of arriving in time as it is.”
“Perhaps then we should only have this tournament for Tenoch,” the advisor suggested.
“And we can have another tournament for the entirety of Tenoch Proper, including the islands within a year,” the vicar added.
“Yes.” Rosalynne breathed a sigh of relief, although she could not help feeling guilty. Winning should not hold such a large part in this decision, but winning meant far too much in this world. If someone from Atlan did not win, it would reflect badly on the royal family, and she knew that.
At least, Atlan would have a sporting chance, but only because Vincana were not invited. Worse, what if Vincana viewed this as a slight? At least she could state that none of the other islands had been invited either, but that might not assuage them.
Oh, dear. If this was only a small taste of being queen, then Rosalynne was not certain she wished to wear the crown.
35
Prince Noll Rivera
Noll was avoiding his sisters. Maybe that wasn’t fair of him, but he was so unhappy lately. Even Tabes could not get Noll to smile or even laugh. He felt lost, and Noll wasn’t sure how he could feel happy again.
Vivian often sought out Noll and was trying to make him happy, but Noll didn’t want anything to do with her. He knew that she was sorry for slapping him, but he just couldn’t forgive her. Maybe he was upset about something else and was trying to pin it on her. He wasn’t sure, but he did know that he wanted to stay miserable. He didn’t want to be happy.
His puppy yipping at his side, Noll wandered the castle and eventually opted to go into the library. He enjoyed looking through the scrolls. He could read somewhat, but some words were too hard for him. Also, he sometimes pronounced the words incorrectly. When he read, he always did so out loud. It helped him for whatever reason.
A short time later, someone else entered the library. Vicar Albert Leeson.
Noll waved to the vicar but did not smile. “Will you read to me?” he asked.
The vicar had started toward a different aisle of books, but now, he crossed over to Noll. “What are you reading about today?”
Noll handed him a very old scroll. It had been in a section of the library where Noll was not supposed to go, but the vicar did not scold him as Albert Leeson accepted the parchment in his trembling hands. His gnarled fingers unrolled the scroll.
“Ah, dragons.” The vicar eased onto the stool beside Noll at the table. “Do you believe in them?”
“I do,” Noll said. “I wish they weren’t dead. Just like I wish…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Wishes can be powerful things,” the vicar said. “If the Fates so choose it, you will see Bates again and your mother.”
“You think so?” Noll asked eagerly.
“If the Fates allow it.”
“Tell me about the dragons,” Noll said.
“You don’t want to know more about the Fates?”
The prince shook his head. Death and Chaos frightened him. Dragons didn’t, but maybe they should.
“At any one time, there were only ever three dragons. They ruled the skies and the land. They kept the humans from making terrible decisions.”
“They were our protectors?”
“In a way.” The vicar nodded. “They were immune to the vices that humans tend to fall prey to.”
“Vices?” Noll asked, confused.
“Greed, pride, lust, sloth, and the like.”
Those were a bunch of words that meant nothing to Noll, but he merely nodded.
“You said there were only ever three dragons. What if one died?”
“Then one more would be reborn.”
“And if two died, two were reborn?”
“Exactly.”
“But all three died and never came back, right?” Noll asked, perplexed.
“That is correct. Men found a way to kill them all, and because all three had died, they did not come back. They were not reborn.”
Noll frowned. His head hurt from thinking so hard. He did remember that the vicar had told him about the dragons resurrecting. “What if nature had claimed all three instead of men killing them?”
“Then all three dragons would have been reborn.”
The prince scratched the back of his neck. “Why weren’t they reborn after the men killed them?”
“That is why. They had been killed versus dying. Murder is a terrible, wicked, nasty thing. Never be a party to it.” The gnarled finger of the vicar poked Noll in the chest.
“I won’t be,” Noll promised. “Did giants fly on the back of the dragons?” he asked eagerly.
The vicar shook his head. “Giants were not ever real.”
“Oh. How big were the dragons?”
“As big as this castle.”
Noll blinked. “That is massive. They could breathe fire, yes?”
“They could.”
“If they had attacked the humans…”
“They could have annihilated us entirely,” the vicar said as if that was not the most terrifying proposition in all the world.
The vicar went on to tell Noll a great many details about the dragons but then also added that not everyone believed in dragons.
“Do you believe in them?” Noll asked.
“My belief does not matter. Only yours,” the vicar said.
Noll wrinkled his nose. “Your belief does matter.”
“Only to me. Now, if you will excuse me,” the vicar said as he slowly stood, “I have some reading of my own to do.”
Noll stood himself. The vicar lumbered away, and Noll realized his puppy was nowhere to be found. Luckily, the vicar had left the library door open, so Tabes had run free instead of crawling under a table gnawing on scrolls like Noll had been worried the puppy was doing.
“Come on, Tabes,” Noll called. “Let’s go eat supper.”
That night, Noll went to sleep with Tabes curled up beside him. Immediately, he felt an extremely heavy presence on his chest. Sometimes, Tabes would roll over onto him, but the puppy wasn’t this heavy.
Noll tried to push the puppy away, but the mass wouldn’t move. And he didn’t feel fur. He felt a cool, scaly surface instead. Surprised, Noll opened his eyes and was shocked to see that Tabes was changing from a puppy into a massive dragon. Noll scrambled off the bed just before the dragon’s weight crushed it.
“Tabes!” Noll cried, trying to hug the dragon’s leg, but the dragon turned toward him, opened his mouth, and blasted him with fire.
With a scream, Noll woke from the nightmare. He was sweating. Frantic, he glanced around for Tabes, who had shifted down more toward Noll’s feet.
Although disappointed that he didn’t have a dragon, Noll cradled Tabes to his chest. The puppy stirred and licked his face. The prince laughed, and for once, he became happy again.
36
Rase Ainsley
An entire week had passed since Freida had mentioned where Maxene might be. Leanne hadn’t realized just how badly off Rase was with his ankle until he had returned from paying Frieda. For the first time in forever, she had purpose again. Leanne doted on Rase, not letting him walk or put any weight on his ankle, and he had to admit that the swelling had gone down, and he could even put all of his weight on it now.
Which meant that he needed to go off and investigate.
Their pa had been bringing home more food. Not every day but more times than not. No one asked where he got it from, and he didn’t say. As a result of eating more consistently, both Rase and Leanne were sleeping longer, deeper. When Rase woke that morning, Leanne was still slumbering. So were his parents
. Rase grabbed the branch just in case his ankle started to hurt after all of the walking and rushed out of the house.
The Dreyer family contained two sons along with just the earl. The wife had died a few years ago, or so Rase thought was the case. When he had been younger, when they had maybe a little more food than they did now, his ma used to talk about the nobles all the time. Did she wish they were nobles? Rase didn’t know much about nobles honestly. They had titles and wealth and big houses, yes. Probably more than enough clothes and food. They most likely never felt the pain of hunger. Maybe it would be better to be a noble. Rase wasn’t sure.
The Dreyers lived closer to the castle. Rase had never seen the castle up close, and he didn’t plan on it today. After his experience at the Jolly Snapdragon, Rase wasn’t about to poke his nose where it shouldn’t be. Then again, he was going to see the Dreyers. Well, not the Dreyers themselves. Just peek through the windows and see if Maxene were there.
He really hoped she was at their house. Rase wasn’t sure where the Snells lived.
The Dreyer manor was three stories tall, made of a mixture of stone and wattle and daub. Instead of glass or flattened animal hides for the widows, curtains billowed. That wouldn’t keep snow out during the winter, but he supposed the Dreyers had servants who could sweep out any snow as soon as it would try to enter the house. Honestly, that seemed rather absurd to Rase, but who was he to judge how the nobles lived their lives?
Rase crept over to the nearest window and peeked inside. A faint breeze ruffled the curtain enough that he could see inside.
“Let us go out for a ride,” a nasally male voice said.
“Shall we bring the dogs and go for a hunt?” another male asked.
A hunt. Rase didn’t think many noble ladies would tag along for a hunt. Would Maxene if she were there?
But the two men left only a few minutes later without talking to another, leaving Rase to believe Maxene or another woman was not there after all.
Hmm. Should he try to prove that for certain or move onto the Snells’ manor? Given that he was not altogether certain where the Snells lived, Rase inhaled deeply, tried to be courageous, and knocked on the door.
A servant dressed all in black opened the door. His face was long and thin, his features pinched and tight.
“Yes?” he asked in a dry, bored tone.
Rase thought quickly. “I was wondering if—”
“We have no leftover food for you.” The servant went to shut the door in Rase’s face.
The boy shoved his foot forward. “It’s a little rude to interrupt,” he said.
The servant narrowed his eyes until they nearly disappeared. “It is brazen of you to come here and demand anything.”
“I am not here to make demands. I just want to know if the Dreyer family is the one who brought in a young woman. She… She’s a friend of my sister’s. I’ve been trying to find her. Not my sister. My sister’s friend.”
Rase hung his head. He tended to tell the truth too much. It hadn’t helped with Linton. Would it hurt in this instance too?
The servant stifled. “There is no one here currently except for the earl. The sons departed just moments ago.”
“Maybe she is with the Snells then.” Rase smiled apologetically at the servant. “Can you maybe tell me where to go to find them?”
“I could,” the servant said, but then he fell silent.
“Please? I will leave straightaway. I don’t mean any trouble. I’m just worried about my sister’s friend. Do you have a sister, sir? Wouldn’t you do anything for her?”
The many lines on the servant’s face soothed out even though he did not quite smile. “Very well. I will tell you. Head toward the river. Follow until you reach the bend. Head due north. Their manor is beyond the hill.”
“There’s no path to take?” Rase asked, shocked.
The servant did smile then. “There is, but I assume you are traveling by foot. This route will be quicker for you.”
“Thank you very much.” Rase wished he could repay the man. He stepped back, started to bow, thought better of it, and jerked back to standing upright. He must’ve looked like a fool, and Rase rushed away without another word.
The babbling of the river drew Rase to its side only five minutes later. The water rushed on by yet was peaceful. Its lulling sound followed Rase as he jumped from rock to rock in the riverbed until he reached the bend. Now, north was which way?
Rase scrambled up the side of the riverbank and touched a tree. He circled around it but found no moss. A few trees farther away from the river had the moss, and Rase rushed northward. His ankle plagued him some, but he was too anxious and even excited to slow down.
The Snells’ manor was even more impressive than the Dreyers’. This one was made wholly from stone, and glass filled every window. Even better were the flowerpots Rase spied on the windowsills high up. Yes, this must be the place.
Now only one question remained. Was Maxene Byron the young woman to have been injured, or had another?
37
Princess Rosalynne Rivera
Rosalynne could hardly believe how her sister was acting. The youngest Rivera clearly couldn’t believe what their father wanted, all wide eyed and glancing around as if ready to jump up and down with excitement. She was trying to damper down her eagerness, though, Vivian was, her jaw dropped more from surprise and wonder than anything else, or so Rosalynne assumed.
Honestly, Rosalynne thought the timing of the request was a little suspect. The babe had died recently. Noll was only just beginning to stop frowning all day long. Not one of them was in happy, cheerful spirits.
A royal portrait. Two actually. One with only the “children, the future of Tenoch Proper!” her father had exclaimed. The other would have him added, as he would not leave the castle. The king did not wish for his new wife to be in the painting. Rosalynne was not going to ask her father why. Perhaps Albert Leeson would know, but Rosalynne did not care enough to plan to ask.
Noll was fiddling with his cloak. Her father had moved swiftly on this. Just that morning, he had announced his desire for the commissioned paintings. He had servants lay out the outfits he required his children to wear. It was not even midday, and already, she and her siblings were on a hill in front of Atlan Castle.
Vivian, of course, was excited about her new gown. She was wearing a red shade that gave color to her face and cheeks. Her gown was actually fancier than Rosalynne’s. Perhaps their father finally realized Vivian cared more about fashion. More likely, the servant placed the wrong dresses in the rooms.
The younger princess’s sleeves were only thick enough to cover her shoulders, the neckline of the gown sweetheart. Her matching red gloves reached just above her elbows. The bodice was covered in sparkles as well as three lines descending from her breasts. Down the center of Vivian’s skirt was a thick additional layer of material with a lovely pattern that even Rosalynne could appreciate. Her silver necklace hung close to her neck with dangling tassels.
Normally, none of the royal children wore their crowns, but Vivian looked particularly beautiful wearing hers. The silver above the blue topaz gemstones contrasted lovely with her brown hair. That day, the sun hit her hair to make it appear almost auburn.
In comparison, Rosalynne’s amethyst-colored grown seemed almost simple. Her neckline was also heartline. Her trumpet sleeves were long and flowing, beneath a fuchsia sleeve that wrapped around her hands. Around her slim waist was a belt outlined in gold, an indigo shade, an open diamond that stretched around to her back. Rosalynne’s necklace and crown put her sister’s to shame. Her dangling necklace was larger and gold, the same for Rosalynne’s crown.
As for their brother, his crown was more similar to hers than Vivian’s. His maroon trousers were tucked into his brown boots. The sleeves of his undershirt were blue, his arm braces covering his forearms a silverish blue. Beneath his leather surcoat, dyed a burnt orange hue, was a short gold overshirt. The detailing of his brass buckles
for his surcoat glittered in the sun. His leather belt, also dyed, was trimmed in black. His cloak was in two parts, one fastening to his surcoat inside of his shoulder, the other draped tight to his neck, and that was what he continually yanked on.
“Can’t I pose with a sword?” Noll complained.
“Hush, now,” Vivian said. “You don’t know how to use one.”
“I would only be holding it!”
“You are liable to poke out your eye.” Vivian covered her mouth, but her giggles were audible.
Noll hung his head. “I would not.” He shrugged and then laughed. “You’re more worried about your eyes than mine.”
All three of them laughed at that, Noll loudest of all.
“If you wish to hold something,” Rosalynne said, “hold the scepter.”
“But you’re the eldest,” Noll said. The poor boy sounded so confused.
“I don’t mind.”
The way Noll’s face lit up was priceless as Rosalynne handed him the scepter. She even shifted to stand to his right with Vivian on his left.
The process of waiting to be painted was long and boring, and the trio talked and teased each other, reliving memories. The time flew on by, and once they were finally done, Vivian surprised her siblings by hugging them.
“I may give you both a hard time,” she started, “and I probably won’t stop, but you both know I love you, don’t you?”
“You could act like it more.” Noll gently bonked her on the head with the scepter.
Vivian’s jaw dropped, and she rubbed her head. “You almost hit my crown!”
Noll shrugged, grinning recklessly. “But I didn’t. That’s what matters.”